Apparatus for removing flexible flat products from a product stream

Abstract

Two stop or impact members which are situated opposite one another with respect to grippers of a conveyor device are used for detaching or removing the printed products out of their product formation. In their effective position these stop members project into the conveying path of the printed products. The printed products released by the grippers impact against the stop members and under the action of their own weight drop downwards. Viewed in the conveying direction the printed products are folded or bent into a substantially saddle-like configuration forwardly of the stop members, resulting in stiffening of the thus folded printed products, and after they impact against the stop members they can fall downwardly along a straight path. In order to appropriately kink or bend the printed products there is provided a substantially saddle-shaped support upon which come to bear the printed products at the region of their trailing edge, these printed products being retained approximately at their central region by the grippers at their leading edge. The printed products also can be released from the conveyed product formation or stream along a very short path even when the conveyor device is operating at high conveying speeds.

What I claim is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for the removal of flexible, flat products, especially printed products, from a product conveying stream moving in a predetermined product conveying direction and defining a product conveying path, comprising: a conveyor device;   said conveyor device being provided with gripper elements arranged in spaced relationship from one another at said conveyor device;   at least one release device which can be selectively switched-on and switched-off;   said release device, when assuming its switched-on condition, opening the gripper elements moving therepast;   at least one stop means arranged at the region of the release device which upon switching-on and switching-off the release device can be respectively introduced into and retracted from the product conveying path for the products;   each said stop means comprises an impact surface which is moved in a direction away from the gripper elements when said stop means is introduced into the product conveying path; and   said impact surface is defined by a portion of a revolvingly driven band.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including: means for introducing and retracting the stop means synchronously with the switching-on and switching-off of the release device.   
     
     
       3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said impact surface is moved downwardly.   
     
     
       4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said impact surface is provided with entrainment elements.   
     
     
       5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein: said band comprises a toothed belt having teeth defining said entrainment elements and confronting the arriving printed products.   
     
     
       6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including: a support arrangement located, viewed with respect to the direction of conveying of the products, forwardly of said stop means and below said conveyor device;   said conveyor device extending essentially in horizontal direction; and   said printed products which are retained at their leading edges by the gripper elements bearing by means of their trailing edges upon said support arrangement.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein: said support arrangement terminates in spaced relationship from said stop means when located in its introduced position in the product conveying path at a spacing which is smaller than the distance between the leading and trailing edges of the printed products.   
     
     
       8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein: said support arrangement comprises a substantially planar support element and a support roll rotatably mounted at a location following said support element.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein: said support arrangement comprises a substantially planar support element and a support roll rotatably mounted at a location following said support element.   
     
     
       10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein: said support roll comprises a driven roll.   
     
     
       11. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, further including: chute means for receiving the released products located below said stop means and following said support arrangement.   
     
     
       12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein: said chute means is structured as a stacker chute which is closed at its lower end by a support table.   
     
     
       13. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including: means for pivotably mounting said stop means. 
     
     
       14. An apparatus for the removal of flexible, flat products, especially printed products, from a product conveying stream moving in a predetermined product conveying direction and defining a product conveying path, comprising: a conveyor device;   said conveyor device being provided with gripper elements arranged in spaced relationship from one another at said conveyor device;   at least one release device which can be selectively switched-on and switched-off;   said release device, when assuming its switched-on condition, opening the gripper elements moving therepast;   at least one stop means arranged at the region of the release device which upon switching-on and switching-off the release device can be respectively introduced into and retracted from the product conveying path for the products;   each said stop means comprises an impact surface which is moved in a direction away from the gripper elements when said stop means is introduced into the product conveying path;   said impact surface is provided with entrainment elements; and   said impact surface comprises at least a portion of a revolvingly driven band constituted by a toothed belt having teeth defining said entrainment elements and confronting the arriving printed products.   
     
     
       15. An apparatus for the removal of flexible, flat products, especially printed products, from a product conveying stream moving in a predetermined product conveying direction and defining a product conveying path, comprising: a conveyor device;   said conveyor device being provided with gripper elements arranged in spaced relationship from one another at said conveyor device;   at least one release device which can be selctively switched-on and switched-off;   said release device, when assuming its switched-on condition, opening the gripper elements moving therepast;   at least one stop means arranged at the region of the release device which upon switching-on and switching-off the release device can be respectively introduced into and retracted from the product conveying path for the products;   means for pivotably mounting said stop means;   each stop means comprises a moved impact surface;   said impact surface being defined by a run of a belt;   a pair of deflection rolls between which there is situated said belt run;   a pivotal lever having a free end; and   one of said deflection rolls being mounted at the region of said free end of said pivotal lever.   
     
     
       16. An apparatus for the removal of flexible, flat products, especially printed products, from a product conveying stream moving in a predetermined product conveying direction and defining a product conveying path, comprising: a conveyor device;   said conveyor device being provided with gripper elements arranged in spaced relationship from one another at said conveyor device;   at least one release device which can be selectively switched-on and switched-off;   said release device, when assuming its switched-on condition, opening the gripper elements moving therepast;   at least one stop means arranged at the region of the release device which upon switching-on and switching-off the release device can be respectively introduced into and retracted from the product conveying path for the products; and   means for kinking the printed products at the region of the product conveying path and located upstream of said stop means.   
     
     
       17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein: said means for kinking said products serves to bend said products into a substantially saddle-shaped configuration about a line extending essentially in the direction of conveying of the products.   
     
     
       18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, further including: support means arranged forwardly of said stop means and below said conveyor device, viewed in the direction of conveying of the products; and   said support means serving to support the products which are retained by the gripper elements at their leading edges at least at the region of the trailing edges of said products.   
     
     
       19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein: said support means terminates at a spacing forwardly of said stop means located in its introduced position into the product conveying path.   
     
     
       20. The apparatus as defined in claims 18 or 19, wherein: said support means possesses a substantially saddle-shaped configuration.   
     
     
       21. The apparatus as defined in claims 18 or 19, wherein: said support means possesses a substantially rod-shaped configuration.   
     
     
       22. The apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein: said support means is provided at an end thereof confronting said stop means with an inclined portion extending in the product conveying direction away from said conveyor device.   
     
     
       23. The apparatus as defined in claim 20, further including: a substantially rod-shaped support element arranged forwardly of the saddle-shaped support means, viewed in the direction of conveying of the printed products;   said saddle-shaped support means having a ridge line; and   said rod-shaped support element essentially being in alignment with said ridge line of said support means.   
     
     
       24. The apparatus as defined in claim 18, further including: chute means arranged, following said support means, below said stop means and serving for the reception of the released products.   
     
     
       25. The apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein: said chute means is structured as a stacker chute which is closed at its lower end by closure means.   
     
     
       26. The apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein: said closure means comprises an elevationally displaceable product support table.   
     
     
       27. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein: at least two of said stop means are associated with said release device and arranged opposite one another in relation to said gripper elements.   
     
     
       28. The apparatus as defined in claim 27, further including: fluid-operated drive means provided for each of said stop means in order to introduce and retract said stop means with respect to the product conveying path.   
     
     
       29. The apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein: said fluid-operated drive means comprises hydraulic drive means.   
     
     
       30. The apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein: said fluid-operated drive means comprises pneumatic drive means.   
     
     
       31. The apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein: said release device comprises a fluid-operated release device;   respective control valve means provided for said release device and for said drive means for said stop means; and   a common control means with which there are operatively connected said respective control valve means.   
     
     
       32. An apparatus for the removal of flexible, flat products, especially printed products, from a product conveying stream moving in a pedetermined product conveying direction and defining a product conveying path, comprising: a conveyor device;   said conveyor device being provided with gripper elements arranged in spaced relationship from one another at said conveyor device;   at least one release device which can be selectively switched-on and switched-off;   said release device, when assuming its switched-on condition, opening the gripper elements moving therepast;   at least one stop means arranged at the region of the release device which upon switcing-on and switching-off the release device can be respectively introduced into and retracted from the product conveying path for the products;   means for kinking the printed products at the region of the product conveying path and located upstream of said stop means;   a guide element arranged, viewed with respect to the direction of conveying of the products, forwardly of said stop means and covering said stop means in its introduced position; and   said guide element serving for guiding the products.   
     
     
       33. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein: said means for kinking the printed products exerts a stiffening action upon such kinked printed products, so that the products released by the grippers move downwardly and essentially along a linear path under the action of the force of gravity.   
     
     
       34. An apparatus for the removal of flexible, flat products, especially printed products, from a product conveying stream moving in a predetermined product conveying direction and defining a product conveying path, comprising: a conveyor device;   said conveyor device being provided with gripper elements arranged in spaced relationship from one another at said conveyor device;   at least one release device which can be selectively switched-on and switched-off;   said release device, when assuming its switched-on condition, opening the gripper elements moving therepast;   at least one stop means arranged at the region of the release device which upon switching-on and switching-off the release device can be respectively introduced into and retracted from the product conveying path for the products;   means for introducing and retracting the stop means synchronously with the switching-on and switching-off of the release device;   each said stop means comprises an impact surface which is moved in a direction away from the gripper elements when said stop means is introduced into the product conveying path; and   said impact surface is defined by a portion of a revolvingly driven band.   
     
     
       35. An apparatus for the removal of flexible, flat products, especially printed products, from a product conveying stream moving in a predetermined product conveying direction and defining a product conveying path, comprising: a conveyor device;   said conveyor device being provided with gripper elements arranged in spaced relationship from one another at said conveyor device;   at least one release device which can be selectively switched-on and switched-off;   said release device, when assuming its switched-on condition, opening the gripper elements moving therepast;   at least one stop means arranged at the region of the release device which upon switching-on and switching-off the release device can be respectively introduced into and retracted from the product conveying path for the products;   means for introducing and retracting the stop means synchronously with the switching-on and switching-off of the release device;   each said stop means comprises an impact surface which is moved in a direction away from the gripper elements when said stop means is introduced into the product conveying path;   said impact surface is provided with entrainment elements; and   said impact surface comprises at least a portion of a revolvingly driven band constituted by a toothed belt having teeth defining said entrainment elements and confronting the arriving printed products.